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8 Cornelis Maessen

8 Cornelis Maessen

Male 1616 - 1648  (32 years)    Has no ancestors but more than 100 descendants in this family tree.

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  • Name Cornelis Maessen 
    Prefix
    Birth 1616  Buurmalsen, Geldermalsen, Gelderland, Nederland Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Death Apr 1648  Papsknee, Rensaeller, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I177561  Geneagraphie
    Last Modified 5 Feb 2001 

    Family Catalyntje Martense   d. Apr 1648, Papsknee, Rensaeller, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Marriage Abt 1636 
    Children 
    +1. Martin Cornelisse van Buren,   b. Abt 1637, Albany, New York, USA Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 3 Nov 1703 (Age 66 years)
    +2. Hendrick Cornelis van Buren,   b. 30 Jan 1637   d. 13 Nov 1703 (Age 66 years)
    +3. Maas Cornelis van Buren,   b. Abt 1643   d. 27 Nov 1704 (Age 61 years)
     4. Styntji Cornelisse van Buren,   b. Abt 1645   d. 26 Nov 1729 (Age 84 years)
     5. Tobias Cornelis van Buren,   b. Abt 1647   d. Between 1648 and 1737 (Age 1 year)
    +6. Christina Cornelise van Buren   d. Yes, date unknown
    Family ID F71684  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 15 Dec 2000 

  • Notes 
    • THE FIRST VAN BURENS IN AMERICA

      Henry Hudson sailed up the river that bears his name in 1609. Five years elapsed before any attempt was made to make a settlement in New Netherlands. In 1614 a small fort was built on Castle Island on the west side of the river a little below the present site of Albany New York. It was named Fort Nassau and was garrisoned by ten or twelve men. It was destroyed by a flood in the spring of 1617 or 1618 and another was built at the mouth of " Normans Kill" a short distance south of Albany. Up to 1621 the trade of New Netherland was almost entirely for furs and was done by private individuals and small companies chartered for limited periods. On June 3 1621 the States General of Holland incorporated the Dutch West India Company, which became practically the sole owner and sovereign of the entire province of New Netherland. No steps were taken by the Company to plant settlements in the new country until 1623 when it sent out thirty families, mostly Wallons ( French speaking, Celtic descendent peoples living in Holland). Some of these were transferred up the river to Fort Nassau. In 1623 Fort Orange was erected on the present site of Albany New York. The settlement did not prosper and by 1628 or 1629 the families who had settled there had moved to the colony at Manhattan ( Manhattan Island), leaving the post guarded by twenty five or twenty six men. From these two forts, Fort Orange and Manhattan, the settlers plied their trade for furs with the Indians along the river.
      Although this trade was profitable for the Company the expenses were large and its managers soon discovered that steps must be taken to encourage emigration. The Company recognized the importance and necessity of planting agricultural settlements whose occupants should erect homes and become permanent residents. With the view of inducing private capitalists to engage in the work of colonization and settlement, the Company on June 7, 1629 granted the charter of " Freedoms and Exemptions ".
      Under the provisions of this charter any member of the Company who should within four years plant a colony of fifty persons over the age of fifteen years of age in any part of New Netherland would be acknowledged a " Patroon". The colony of a Patroon could extend sixteen miles along the river ( Hudson ) on one side or eight miles on each side and as far into the country as the situation would permit.
      Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the son of Hendrick van Rensselaer and Maria Pasraat, his wife, born about the year 1580 and a wealthy pearl and diamond merchant of Amsterdam, had taken an active part in the formation of the Dutch West Indian Company and was one of its directors. In 1629 or 1630 he purchased large tracts of land lying on both sides of the river near Albany. His purchases were ratified and confirmed and therefore he, under the charter of Freedoms and Exemptions, became the first PATROON of New Netherland and a feudal lord of a vast estate 24 miles long and 48 miles broad embracing most of present day counties of Albany, Renesselaer and Columbia, excepting Fort Orange. This immense estate containing nearly 700,000 acres was called the Manor or Colony of Rensselaerswyck and the first settlements were made on the present site of Albany. He hired and sent out settlers, providing them with tools and cattle, and erected houses and barns for them, all at his own expense. He received a fixed rent, usually payable in produce and in addition was entitled to receive a part of the crops raised. He also had the first right to purchase the products raised by the tenant who was compelled to grind his grist at the Patroons's mill and could not hunt or fish without his license. The population of the colony consisted of freeman, who emigrated from Holland at their own expense, and farmers and farm servants who were sent out by the Patroon. Among the latter of these was Cornelis Maessen. His rights and privileges were few. He could not become the owner of any land within the colony. He was a tenant-farmer, pure and simple, in many respects not far removed from the serfs of the early years in Europe who toiled on the farms of their feudal lords.

      Cornelis Maessen came to Albany New York in the ship UNITY or " d eENDROCLET " in 1631. He was born in the village of Burrmalsen, near the city of Buren Holland. He returned to Holland in 1634 and married Catelijntie Martensz, a tenant servant of Patron William ( Killiam ) Van Bensaalbier and returned to Albany in 1636 where both died between October 24, 1646 and June 3 1649.



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